My Top 5 Favorite Quotes from Psychological Thrillers

Psychological thrillers are easily one of my favorite genres. They all have some fantastic twists and turns, and incredible jaw-dropping scenes. But they also have some great lines in them, and it's really no surprise. This list today is compiled, not the buildup or the gimmicks, but only by the lines and how they were delivered. Without further ado, here's 5 quotes that have always stuck with me, and in some cases, even gave me chills. Enjoy!

Do be warned that there are spoilers to some degree in each clip shown. I have kept the descriptions as spoiler free as possible, but it still might be enough to potentially ruin some great movies. Proceed with caution.

"I do wish we could chat longer, but..." - Delivered by Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs

There's no doubt that the character of Hannibal Lecter has an abundance of fantastic lines. Although the "fava beans and a nice Chianti" quote, paired with his reptilian hissing might be more recognizable, I always thought the final lines were a clever end to an already remarkable film. It said all that needed to be said... with Hannibal's usual flair, of course.

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled..." - Delivered by Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects

This movie is one of my all time favorites, so naturally its name had to grace this list. Favoritism aside, it's a fantastic movie, and the quote I've chosen is equally great. If you said the full quote to a bystander, they might think it was pulled from an independent Christian film. Instead, it was used to describe Keyser Söze, a criminal mastermind who, in this instance, is compared to the devil.

"Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly." - Delivered by Anthony Perkins in Psycho (1960)

It would've been terribly foolish of me to make this list and not include this wonderful line from one of the movies that helped define psychological thrillers. If you're a little late to the party on seeing this masterpiece, then you might think it's outdated and predictable, and it very well may be. You have to watch this and appreciate it for what it was in its time. That said, one thing that still holds up today is that final scene. In two words? Absolutely perfect.

The voice actor for Bates' mother is Virginia Gregg. It's worthwhile to mention since she makes up the other half of the performance.

"Which would be worse...?" - Delivered by Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island

Shutter Island is undoubtedly my favorite psychological thriller released in recent years. Though the theme feels familiar, it's still a great movie. And those final lines delivered by DiCaprio is just the icing on the cake. Not only is it a very sneaky way of confirming what we all wondered in those final moments, but how it all unfolds is just... ah! So good!

"Now, where was I?" - Delivered by Guy Pearce in Memento

Memento is such an incredible movie, and one of Christopher Nolan's best films. It is a bit confusing the first time you watch it. Whenever a scene is in color, you're given the story from end to beginning. It's like watching a movie in reverse, but the way that it was pieced together still makes sense, albeit slowly. This means that the ending line in the film, is actually where the story started. Memento still continues to give me chills every time I watch that final moment.

There are many wonderful psychological thrillers, and awesome quotes, so I've certainly left some out! Which ones do you think should have been on this list?

Poll

Which movie holds your favorite line?

Memento

Shutter Island

Pyscho

Usual Suspects

Silence of the Lambs

Other. (Let me know in the comments!)

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